Initiation
by Valefor
Summary: The birth of a partnership between dark kin. Long live the underdogs.


**[[ _I'm not really sure if there is ever any real explanation as to how Sora knew Helba other than that 'friend of a friend' think that I think someone said somewhere (vague, hooray)… Thought maybe I'd elaborate a little on that. This one's set around the first episode of SIGN. I've probably taken more liberties than necessary but eh… Here's to bad habits. :)_ ]]**

Object A: Mac Anu. Crown jewel of Delta server, where the sun is suspended in perpetual dusk (or is it dawn?); clouds of ivory lay wisp-like against the golden skies, forever condemned to existing for the sole purpose of being ignored, or at the most severely unappreciated. And below, where the players roamed and milled about, the golden bricks of buildings built up into elaborately decorated structures were also, for the most part, chiefly ignored. A crime not without witness.

Objects B through… an undefined variable. The shadows of humanity trading time in the real world for time in this, the biggest and most realistic vision of a fantasy world ever conceived. Their reasons for being there would vary from person to person, but the effects were always the same: somewhere along the line, time would be forgotten, and even the smallest aspects of reality – the one that existed outside of the computer, separate from the endless miles of cable and wire – would be smothered away by the tactile charms of The World.

New news? No. Counts were rising; more to be swept under the rug.

Out of the many millions that were logged on at any given moment, only a select few would even have the slightest idea of the things going on around them. In a way, that was better: an individual, as they say, could have calm and common sense expected of them, but people were a totally different matter all together. Who knew what sort of panic they would undergo if the truth was suddenly shoved under their noses?

The world was flat. What was immediately before their eyes was all that they considered; out of sight, out of mind. Ignorance is bliss. Which is why, she mused, she would continue to go unnoticed. 

The main attraction in Mac Anu was the silky golden river that wove its way through man (in theory, only) made channels. Many of the shops were situated along its edges, so that customers could enjoy a stroll and a beautiful view of the water as they went about restocking supplies. At one end of town, a small square enclosed by the high walls of a cathedral-like building stood vigilant around a Chaos Gate. That was, by definition, the central focus of the town, for that is where people came and people left to and from their travels all around The World. Straight ahead, the grand bridge that dominated Mac Anu's physical center could be seen, and further beyond stood another square. Those coming towards the Gate should have instantly recognized her, for she stood at the very center of the very top of the wall just behind the Gate. Pity that they did not consider all the dimensions available to them in The World; not too long ago, they would have yearned for a truly immersive gaming experience… The rise of digital entertainment had been slow and steady, and many people considered The World to be the epitome of what video games could offer.

_They take everything for granted._

Again, it might have been better if they didn't notice. Her very presence was not something that the people higher up in The World's so called chain of command fancied very much, but that was to be expected. They didn't want a legendary hacker fiddling in their affairs, or something along those lines. Helba wasn't one to concern herself with the motives of those who don't understand the world around them. Just like those down below… Left must have a right, down must have an up; to overlook the aspects of their surroundings would be to render themselves blind to the most obvious of things.

Behind her, an arrival made itself known; the distorted whoosh of gate rings tapered off into harsh footsteps which stopped at her side. She didn't have to look to know who it was, nor did she feel the need to extend any formalities towards him. Business was business. "Well?"

Her accomplice's dark eyes flashed as he bowed his head slightly to look down upon the same people Helba watched. "She's found someone."

The cold black visor that shielded her eyes turned slightly to regard the one whom she'd come to know as 'Kuro no Bito,' one who had adopted a name born from the Epitaph of the Twilight just like herself. Fitting that the two be working with each other… After all, the Dark Queen must have her minions. "Already? You're certain?"

"Yes. The Crimson Knights have already found him… sort of. They've not been able to keep up. Apparently, She's given him some powers… The details are hazy right now but I most definitely think its Her handiwork."

Helba took her time in replying. Between her fingers, the pearly staff she held onto was twirled about. Most of The World's setting was of ancient European descent, or at least heavy influences from Nordic and Celtic sources found its way into the design of most everything from some of the fields to the root towns, and to the player character model designs themselves. However, Helba had not found the quaintness of medieval attire to fit her style. Instead, this Wavemaster wrote a bold outfit of black and white, one that bore with it hints of cyber-punk fantasies not quite forgotten. The staff itself was topped off by glowing rings probably more suited to serving as lamps in some sort of sci-fi setting rather than the weapon of a sorceress. Uniqueness was a must; she wouldn't stand for having clones in The World, as some of the more 'popular' character models tended to have.

"Someone to keep an eye on, then. Do we have a name?"

"More than a name," he growled, his voice turning dangerously quiet. He had suddenly turned himself enough to stare at a point somewhere behind them; the glint she could catch in his eyes was fierce. "We don't need eavesdroppers."

In a series of deliberately slow motions, she too had herself turned around. The cloth of her skirts sighed and rasped against the smooth flat stones of the Mac Anu rooftops, and the pronged lower top of her staff clacked noisily; graceful as a swan, in any case, but that did not seem to impress the man that had found it fitting to stand cross-armed upon the very same rooftop they shared. If anything, it seemed to amuse him, for the already foolish grin he wore grew even wider.

"Information is meant to be shared, hmmm? Besides, you're on _my_ roof. Think of it as a toll."

Before Kuro no Bito could hiss anything in response, Helba set a hand upon his shoulder. "Another time. Keep in touch." Accepting this dismissal, the stone-eyed man nodded grimly and gated off to some other locale. Soon enough she'd hear from him, be it through the Flashmail system built into The World or a conventional e-mail.

That still left the stranger there with her. He was a lanky looking fellow with eyes too sharp to belong to any typical fool. A tight fitting black bodysuit with puffed shoulders and flared hips gave him an almost comical appearance, in that when one looked at him it could not be helped to think that perhaps there was something wrong with him in ways not including anatomical details. Unruly bangs of forest green hair did little to confirm or deny that very suspicion.

Just as Kuro gated out, the man cocked his head at where he had been standing before. "Aw, you didn't have to send him away… I love listening to rumors!"

He had a face that looked faintly familiar. Quite possible she'd been acquainted with it once or twice on the BBS once upon a time. The boards were, bluntly, a cesspit of nonsense and garbage, but from time to time a gem of two of useful information could be found with a little bit of dedication and persistence. This player had been noted for something before…

She inclined her head to him slightly, scanning him from head to toe. A Twin Blade, and one without much restraint by the looks of it. Not many swayed away from the traditional daggers that were the telltale weapon of that class. He must have also been very practiced at moving silently, for she had not heard his approach… "How did you get here, might I ask?"

"Easy. I jumped." He flung a hand out towards his right, where a slightly lower rooftop could be made out; doubtless just a little bit beyond that, another more squat building resided. "These stairs are a teensy bit too big for most people, but I'm not most people." A hand rose to stroke at an invisible beard, cattish eyes narrowing to study her. "And I'm guessing you aren't, either."

One corner of her lip twitched upward. "Correct."

"Good, good! People are a bore, you know. Now, ready to fill me in?"

_Hmm… This one's bold._ "Fill you in? You will have to forgive me if I'm not quick to let strangers indulge in my business."

For whatever reason, the Twin Blade seemed even more amused. "Strangers? That can be fixed!" His upper body found itself flung forward in a makeshift bow quite lacking any sense of self respect or grace. He held the pose long enough to wink up at her before straightening himself out again. "I'm Sora. Nice to meet you, miss…?"

As charming as his oafishness was, Helba was not impressed. "Are you a fool?"

"That might be for you to decide," he retorted, nodding sagely. "But in any case, when a fool asks for your name it's polite to answer, hmm?"

The pointy end of her staff clicked onto the roof again, as if asserting what dominance she had over it. "Information comes with a price. What would you know?"

"More than you give me credit, apparently," he leered. He began numbering things off on his fingers, shifting his voice into a low-keyed song. "People are gullible, people are tools, people are greedy, people are fools. Information comes with a price, as you said, but that price is always more than it seems. Rumors are not without foundation, and neither are legends..." He paused to beam at Helba. "So good so far?"

"It looks like Mister Sora knows possesses a little bit of common sense. However, if he believes that that alone entitles him to anything, he is mistaken." As most are; self righteousness, as the man displayed, was both a mark of intelligence and a mark of ignorance. Some would always think themselves better than those around them no matter what the circumstances.

Sora snickered quietly and strode towards her. It was then that a bit of memory sparked back to life: his stride, silent and stealthy, was one that could only belong to a hunter. Threads voicing complains and grievances at the hands of a green-haired player killer used to pop up on the boards on an almost hourly basis. Lately, though… It would seem that The World had gotten used to the notion of there being a blood-thirsty killer stalking its fields. He halted at the roof's edge to give the denizens below a brief scan. "That would be a silly thing to think, wouldn't it? No, no, Sora is smarter than that. Information comes with a price, and the price I am willing to pay," he crooned, "Is information in return."

The key to haggling is to make certain that your partner thinks you are disinterested; ideally, then they will play themselves right into a more beneficial deal. Helba kept her face expressionless, but she did allow herself to turn towards the spunky young man. "Go on…"

He was leaning forward, taking particular interest in a group near one side of the bridge. Helba recognized them as members of the Crimson Knights, the closest thing The World has to a "police force." One of them, a woman in somber blue, was boarding a boat with a tall knight in a red uniform at her side. "Mac Anu is **the** place for gossip. Information circles around them and pulling things from them is just a matter of saying the right thing. And then we get to the individuals who trade in secrets." Crimson eyes squinted, darting from face to face on the cobblestones. Finally he pointed towards a female Wavemaster with blonde hair, adorned in a dress of varying shades of emerald. She was alone with another player, a blue-faced Blademaster, in a relatively unoccupied section near the end of town. "People like her. They're easy to spot if you know what to look for. That's one thing I'm good at, you see!"

He looked up at her, looking as pleased as a cat who's caught a mouse in its paws. The sources she already had at hand could only do so much… There would always be new rumors sprouting in the community, as well as the remnants of old. To have someone out among the players serving as a relay point… 

"Information for information. I will be the judge of what information of mine is worth compared to yours, and I will trade accordingly. Do you accept my terms?"

"Mmhmm… Sounds a little lop-sided but I'm sure I'll manage." Sora hopped up onto the edge of the roof, balancing precariously in the gentle breeze that ran across the city. "Yes, a partnership… Effective immediately?"

She tilted her head at him, smiling dryly. "Eager to get started?"

"There's a few people I need to get in touch with," he replied. "You still haven't told me your name, but that's all right. I've heard some things about you. This might be… fun, hmm? Adieu, Helba-san!" Playfully he winked and let himself fall backwards… Backwards being the empty air off the side of the building. Helba didn't bother checking to see if he landed safely; the surprised shrieks of players below, along with the half maniacal giggling of what was no doubt the player killer, said enough.

Soon enough the city settled back into the quiet warble of people chit-chatting, and the water running its course through the brick-lined channels. Upon the roof the wind stirred, and the Dark Queen of legend lifted her head. If Kuro was right, if She had indeed chosen someone to be Her pawn, then things would be getting interesting soon.

"Fun…? Maybe," she whispered to the sky. "Morganna, what are you plotting?" But no one, not even She, could supply an answer. Someday, however… Someday she would find it. But for now, there were other matters to be dealt with; a phone rang, the monotone roar of a client requiring her services. Helba gave Mac Anu a final sweeping glance before she was carried off by her small entourage of gold rings. Another step toward an uncertain future, one that she had every intention of witnessing. 


End file.
